


The Prequel: How They Met

by CMBM_UIRABA (TerminallyCapricious)



Series: Partners [2]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - GTA, Cheating, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-28
Updated: 2015-03-20
Packaged: 2018-02-22 23:35:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2525807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TerminallyCapricious/pseuds/CMBM_UIRABA
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Apart from being an assassin for hire, Ray was a normal 20-something-year-old. He woke up every day to eat breakfast with his accountant boyfriend, the both of them getting ready for work together in their cramped apartment. So what happens when a job to take down Ryan Haywood doesn't go as planned?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Negotiations

**Author's Note:**

> So I know I only posted the first work like... yesterday... but I'm rolling with it BD

Ray stood shaving in front of the bathroom mirror, his reflection marred by the steam from the shower running behind him. When his face was suitably free of hair, he wiped off the remaining foam and examined his newly-smoothed face.

"You're gonna be late for work." The voice teased from inside the shower, making Ray check his watch.

"Shit, shit, you're right." Ray grabbed his glasses off the counter, deeming his appearance appropriate and pulling the shower curtain back. Ray watched as his boyfriend rinsed the suds out of his dark hair, the impressive muscles in his shoulders flexing with each movement.

"When am I not right?" Joel turned to carefully give Ray a kiss goodbye, trying not to soak his neatly worn button-up shirt. "Oh! Do you want to go out for dinner tonight?"

"Yeah, definitely!" Ray called on his way out the door, "I'll text you later, yeah?" He grabbed his briefcase off the coffee table, doing a once-over of their small apartment, finding his wallet on the kitchen counter. "I love you!" He waited for Joel to say it back before he shut the front door behind him.

Ray lived for mornings like these, little domestic moments between the two of them that had become practiced routines over the last year of living together. The thought of spending a romantic evening with Joel at a nice restaurant put an even bigger smile on his face. Despite what their sub-standard accommodations would lead you to believe, the both of them were on easy street when it came to money, they'd talked about getting a better place, but nothing was set in stone yet.

Joel was an accountant, which was about as far from interesting as you could get, in Ray's opinion, but the man had an overactive mind that the younger man had spent entire evenings trying to pick apart with banter. He made a decent wage that would keep them out of the poorhouse for a while should Ray lose his own job.

Ray, himself was the head of the Developments and Research department over at the "Lifeinvader" technology corporation... as far as Joel knew. 

Ray was an assassin for hire. Though he got plenty of work from independent employers, a majority of his hires were by the damned crooked cops over at the Los Santos Police, who were just no good at their job. Still, as badly as Ray thought of his employers, they paid him  _beyond_ well, and they offered him air-tight identity protection from the media.

 

He sighed deeply as he walked up the steps to the police station, steeling himself to deal with the overly friendly reception lady. He silently thanked his lucky stars as he was intercepted the second he walked in the door by officer Dayton, a nice girl who only ever seemed to give him the most fun jobs to run. She steered him into her office and shut the door behind him, sitting at her desk with a smug look on her face.

"I got you the easiest job of the century." She announced with no small amount of pride. "Maybe even ever. I may have gotten you the easiest job  _ever."_

Ray rolled his eyes. "Ok then, so what makes this job so 'easy'?"

"I got you an excuse to get into the guy's house." Her smile was wide, though he raised a confused eyebrow. "Plus his guard will totally be down. PLUS he's a huge criminal... you're gonna get paid so well when you carry this one off, Ray."

"Ok, so can I get a more thorough debriefing or nah?" He rolled his eyes, skeptical of her confidence in the job.

"So you know Ryan Haywood, yeah?" She trailed off into a laugh when his eyes widened. "Of course you do, he's a fucking menace! Anyway, so turns out, he's a gigantic pervert. We got a tip from this whorehouse down in the valley that they sent him 3... escorts on separate occasions and they never saw them again."

"Christ, modern-day Jack the Ripper." Ray shifted uncomfortably in his seat, unhappy about the direction the conversation was going. "So where do I come in?"

"Well... all the escorts he's ordered have been male..." Tina trailed off, hoping Ray got the gist.

"So you want me to pretend to be a prostitute so I can get into his home and kill him?" Ray's voice was almost incredulous, sighing as he leaned back in his seat. "God.. ok, when do you suspect he'll order another um... 'escort'?"

"He's been ordering them on Friday evenings, so we're gonna need you to run down to the whorehouse soon and get aquainted with the logistics of being a prostitute before tonight."

"Damn it, Tina, I have a date tonight..."

"And you have a whopping big paycheck on the line!"

Ray buried his head in his hands, pinching at the bridge of his nose. "Fine, I'll cancel it so I can kill some big bad criminal."

"You're an inspiration to the force, Ray." Tina said sarcastically, jotting down the address of the escort company. "You can drive now, right?"

"Eurgh, yeah, don't remind me..."

 

Ray left the building with a soft scowl to cover his frown, he hated turning Joel down for nice dates, but he didn't do it too often, so he didn't feel too neglectful. He sat in the driver's seat of his car (which still felt weird, given he'd only learnt how to drive a few months ago, the LSPD skipping ahead his hours for the convenience of having an assassin who can actually get himself somewhere.) and texted Joel.

**To Joooeeelll:**

**I'm gonna have to skip out on dinner tonight, huge delay in a project at work.**

**Don't wait up for me, we'll go out tomorrow night? x**

 

**From **Joooeeelll:****

****Kay** **

 

Ray sighed a little as he read the short message; he knew the city they lived in was sleazy and full of debauchery, and god knows he never wanted Joel to think he was cheating on him.

_'Oh god, is the job tonight technically cheating on him?'_  Ray's mind helpfully supplied. He shook his head and starting driving along the southbound highway. ' _I'm not going to fucking sleep with Haywood. I'll get the specifications of the job and maybe shoot him at his front door. Or I'll follow him inside or something and then shoot him.'_

Ray sighed, drumming lightly at the wheel. _'I wonder what escorts usually wear...'_ He looked down at his jeans and his button-up shirt.  _'I look nice enough... what if they have to wear like... costumes and stuff. Oh man that's totally a thing Joel and I need to roleplay sometime soon.'_

Ray cleared his throat and derailed that train of thought; thinking about future sexcapades in the bedroom with his boyfriend is only going to bring up a problem in his jeans that he doesn't want to have while running a job. He stopped the car for a second and wrote a reply.

**To Joooeeelll:**

**Be prepared for some pretty hardcore morning sex tomorrow, though <3**

~

Ray sat inside the manager's office at about 8pm, his legs crossed uncomfortably as he looked around, noticing the pictures of all the pretty employees hung up. 

"So uhh... what kind of standard would I have to maintain for it to be believable?" Ray asks nervously. "T-That I work here, I mean."

The man on the other side of the desk, Mr Hullum ("But call me Matt"), folded his arms. "You're pretty enough to pass for one of my boys any time, but I'll send you down to Kara; see if she can't find a way to make you even better."

"Thank you, I'm sorry to hear about the loss of some of your employees..." Ray stood slowly, nodding respectfully.

"Thanks, it was a real loss for all of us, they were sweet guys." He looked solemnly at his hands. "Just make sure all my other boys stay safe, yeah?"

The young man nodded and left, walking back to the main entrance to seek this 'Kara'. She turned out to be the pretty blonde girl at the front desk and she eagerly ushered him into the back room, dropping little partial sentences about how he has pretty skin, or how they could probably fix up those eyebrows. Kara sat Ray down in a plush seat in front of a big, illuminated mirror.

"Ok, so I could work some real magic here if I had the time, but I don't. This guy wants you at some cheap-ass motel a couple blocks away in like 30 minutes, yeah?" She hummed, picking up weirdly-shaped brushes and small containers holding some kind of cream. "So we're just gonna put some stuff on those big, dark eyes of your to make them really  _pop!"_

Ray was forever thankful that the majority of the makeup stayed a respectable distance from his eyes, and he was proud of himself for not letting them water at any point. Looking at himself in the big mirror, he would absolutely call himself cuter than this morning.

"You know, you really have the right face for this work." Kara mused, leading him to the door. "I'm sure that whatever kinda undercover police job you've got pays well, but we're always hiring!"

"Oh, uhh, thank you." Ray felt his confidence boost a little. "I'll keep it in mind." He walked out the door and was hit with the cool evening and the scent of... vanilla? It took him a moment to realise that it was that spray Kara had assaulted him with. he could live with vanilla.

Ray bit his lips a little nervously as he sat in heavy traffic on the way to the motel; he got nervous often while on high risk jobs, so he took the time to indulge in the one thing he knew would calm him.

**To Joooeeelll:**

**Hey, I love you**

 

****From Joooeeelll:** **

****I love you too xo** **

Ray smiled a little when he read the reply message, sitting in his car parked a block away from the address the agency had given him. With a deep breath, he stepped back out into the cool air and made the short walk down the street. He ran his hand over the back of his jeans, the front of his shirt, taking stock of all his concealed weapons as he approached the room labelled "420". He got a good snort at that as he knocked on the door, positioned with his hands behind his back, ready to grab at his weapon in a moments' notice.

His mind was going a mile a minute and then all of a sudden... stopped. Ray barely registered the throbbing pain in his head and the warm arms that caught him before he blacked out.

~

"Hi, are you awake? Your eyes are open so I'm gonna take that as a yes. I checked before and I don't think you have a concussion but I'll get you some water ok? Ok." 

It took Ray a second to figure out why he woke up with such a fuzzy head, his mind barely working to comprehend the situation. Though when he remembered the job he was supposed to be running, he bolted upright, confused when he heard the endless babbling of who he assumed was his captor. Blinking his eyes hard to clear his vision, he flinched a little when his eyes focused a little on the tall, broad-shouldered man offering a glass of water. 

"Oh, I'm sorry, your glasses are right here." Ray felt the stranger put them on his face and watched with newly-cleared vision as the man sat down opposite to him. "Ok, first of all, I want you to know that I mean you no harm and that whole stunt with me hitting you with a baseball bat? Would have been avoided if I could."

"I... you're Ryan Haywood?" Ray questioned, his words a little slurred with the effort of fully absorbing what the man was saying.

"Yes, I am. That's good, you can think for yourself, that's a great sign." Ryan seemed to sigh with relief. "I'll give you a while to get used to the situation, but remember no, i'm not going to hurt you... but yes, you are absolutely tied to a chair. Would you like a sip of that water or no?"

"I uhh.. yeah, thanks." Ray mumbled, taking the drink between his surprisingly dry lips, taking a few long gulps before Ryan put it back on the table. "What happened to the other guys, Haywood?" Ray found his voice easier now.

"They're fine, they're perfectly safe. I run heists, I don't just casually murder boys who sleep with people for money." Ryan huffed, sitting still in the chair across from Ray. "We have a lot to discuss, are you sure you don't want to take a rest and let your head clear?"

"My head is perfectly damn fine, I want to know what happened to them."

Ryan settled in his chair, a small frown creasing his brow. "They were miserable, the three of them. They were my nephews and they didn't want to work like that, but they had to to make end's meet. So I kicked up the frequency of my regular jobs, gave them the money, helped them fake their deaths and got them off, one by one on flights out of the country."

Ray stared at the man before him; he wore a gentle and sincere expression, and Ray couldn't help but believe him before he remembered why he was actually in that motel in the first place.

"But then why did you request another person tonight?" Ray frowned harder, meeting Ryan's eyes.

"Well... I'm kind of _really_ on top of everything in this city... I knew the cops would be sending someone, and I knew you were Dayton's best assassin..." Ryan paused at the shocked look on Ray's face with a chuckle. "Just because the police promised to keep the media clueless to your actions doesn't mean you can hide from me."

"So what are you going to do with me now?" Ray was almost afraid of the answer, though he hesitated when Ryan leaned forward, a conspiratory smirk on his face.

"I have a business proposition for you. Do you know how much I make on my solo heists, Ray- if I may call you that?" He waited until Ray nodded a little. "Well I make a  _lot_  of money. One of my jobs is equal to about 5 good jobs the cops give you." He trailed off with a deep laugh.

"So what? You just... expect me to run into a life of crime? You're a wanted criminal and I don't have he same kind of skill you have to keep myself hidden."

"Oh, but I do." Ryan raised an eyebrow and smiled wider. "I could keep you so damn under the radar, your part wouldn't even be on the front lines, I just need a pilot, or maybe a sniper, what do you say?"

Ray bit at his bottom lip for a while, the offer did sound tempting... "What about me being in with the cops?"

"Easy, you show up to work tomorrow, fake being bruised, battered and defeated, saying you want out because I kicked your ass so hard." Ryan stopped for a moment when Ray cracked his first smile of the night. "In case you can't tell, this plan also helps my ego a whole lot."

"You know what, Haywood? I think I'm in." Ray nodded to the man in front of him. "All this solo do-gooder work has been getting boring anyway."

Ryan laughed genuinely at that, his smile reaching the corners of his eyes. "You know, I was surprised when i found out your boyfriend was just an accountant." Ray stiffened visibly. "Oh yeah, I know about Joel, but don't worry, I won't mess with him or anything, scouts' honour." Ray laughed at how goofy Ryan looked doing the scouting pledge pose.

"Fantastic, so can you untie me and like put your number in my phone or however it is you master criminals communicate." Ray shuffled as Ryan fiddled with the knots of the rope behind him, just noticing now that the rope is a lot nicer than you'd expect for the average tied-up victim.

"I have some closed-circuit phones and I'll give you one. Technically untraceable by any kind of technology I know the LSPD has." 

"So... walkie talkies?" 

"Walkie talkies that can text." Ryan said with a wink, tossing the newly freed man what looked like a regular smartphone. "Don't turn it on until after you're done with the cops tomorrow, yeah? Then message me and we can start talking business."

~

"Joel! Joel, wake up" He shook the sleeping man lightly.

"Ray?" Came the bleary reply as he propped himself up. "It's 2am... are you just getting in?" 

"Yeah, you know how it is, a new smartphone in the making and stuff, but guess what! I got a  _huge_  promotion!" Ray excitedly kissed at Joel's cheeks. "We could start apartment hunting in fucking _Vinewood_ , man!" _  
_

"Ray, wow, that's fantastic." Joel rubbed the sleep from his eyes and kissed his boyfriend deeply, pulling him into a cuddle under the sheets. "When I'm fully awake tomorrow, we are going to have  _so much_ celebration sex."

"Ohh? And what if I want  _so much_ celebration sex right now~?" Ray almost purred out, running a hand down Joel's chest, resting to massage small circles against his hipbones.

"Then I'd tell you to do it yourself. I'm tired as fuck." Joel's voice was gruff, though it gave Ray a devious idea.

"Mmm, with pleasure~" The younger man ran his hand down his own chest, squeezing at his nipples and exaggerating his aroused gasps. His free hand reached into his bedside drawer and pulled out the bottle of lube he knew was in there. 

Ray stripped off his briefs with a quick rub over the tent forming, throwing them onto the ground and slicking up his fingers. He shifted himself on the bed so he was resting on his hands and knees, his ass presented to Joel if the older man so much as glanced over. Ray added the first finger in slowly, reaching under his stomach to get the best angle to rub mercilessly against his prostate. The whimpers coming out of his mouth weren't at all staged, though some of the moans were exaggerated as he continued to try and get his boyfriend's attention.

Ray quickly shoved in the second and the third fingers with a small shout, rubbing harder and faster, panting roughly as he started over his shoulder, grinning when he saw Joel sat up in bed, lit up by the streams of light coming through their blinds from the streetlights outside, staring so hard at Ray's fingers that it made the younger man moan.

"Ohh, why don't you slick yourself up and come finish me off, yeah~?" He purred, pulling his fingers out and shaking his ass in Joel's direction. He let out a startled yelp when instead, Joel moved right up behind him, running two fingers around the rim of his hole.

"Hmm... I think you're prepared enough to take me dry, don't you think?" The words were growled in his ear and Ray felt the moans leave him in awkward stutters are the bare head of Joel's cock ran teasingly over his hole. Having been together for a year and tested well, they'd decided ages ago to have sex without condoms, so when Joel pushed in, all Ray felt was the delicious skin-on-skin heat and friction that he absolutely loved to feel dragging over his prostate.

"Oohh, fuck,  _Joel_ please, please move..." Ray heard the deep chuckle beside his ear and counted his lucky stars Joel was as close to the end of the rope as he was, reveling in the sudden movement and lack of teasing.

"F-Fuck Ray... always so  _tight."_  The older man groaned out, his thrusts getting wilder and more violent, nearly slamming himself repeatedly into Ray's hole, the excessive lube the younger man had used on himself providing a wet sound along with the dull smack of their hips colliding together.

"Ohh, god,  _fuck,_ it feels so  _fucking_ good!" Ray ground out, arching his back towards the bed to provide a _delicious_ curved slope to his back that Joel admired with a grunt, fingers grabbing almost bruisingly hard at Ray's hips. "O-oh fuck... Joel, I'm gonna-!" 

"God, me too...  _fuck, Ray!"_ Joel barely got his words out, snaking a hand under the younger man and pumping his cock a few times before he felt the boy's cum drip down his fingers and the tight heat around his cock tightened almost impossibly so, driving him far over the edge with a few violent spurts deep into his lover.

Joel pulled himself out and they took a second to catch their breaths. Ray pulled himself up to go and clean himself off, though he stopped when Joel called out to him. "And where do you think you're going?"

Ray's laugh was almost a giggle as he crawled back onto their bed and licked and sucked his own cum off of Joel's fingertips, before lowering his head and cleaning up Joel's cock of cum and- thankfully strawberry flavoured- lube. Joel rewarded Ray with a pat on the ass that was close enough to a slap to make the boy squeak as he retreated hastily to clean himself up in their bathroom.

The younger man inspected his body as he cleaned the cum out of his ass with tissues in a way that was neither glamorous nor fun. Ray felt like he couldn't make the smile leave his face if he tried. He thought over his new job possibilities with his new partner, along with how he was about to return to bed and sleep with his other kind of 'partner'. The thought of having both of them called his 'partner' with wildly different connotations made him laugh a little on his way back to bed.


	2. Growing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray and Ryan get to know each other and grow closer as partners... in crime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised a quick update but I got distracted and I'm going away tomorrow for two weeks so I hope you enjoy this oops x

"Well, uhh, I gotta say, Ray, I'm disappointed." Tina shook her head and frowned, eyes trained on a spot on her desk. "You realise I can't pay you anything since you didn't kill him, yeah?"

Ray sat across from her, having left after Joel that morning, taking the time to wrap unnecessary bandages around his head and arms. "Yeah, well... that's ok. I- I can't take this job any more, Tina." He sighed, hoping to god he was being convincing. "Being wailed on by Haywood was the last straw; I just- I gotta quit. I want to live a regular life with my boyfriend."

"I understand." She said solemnly, meeting his gaze. "Obviously we can't offer you the identity protection anymore, though." 

"It's alright, I've got a retail job interview later today; I don't think I'd need much secrecy there." Ray gave a tired-sounding laugh, earning a sympathetic chuckle from Tina.

"Yeah, well just make sure to change up those bandages. Gotta look your best, you know."

 

Ray sat in his car parked by the side of the road, looking through the smartphone-like thing that Ryan had given him. He'd turned it on and discovered he had a message from Ryan already, instructing him to park by the beach, away from the crowds of the boardwalk. He was half a minute away from texting Ryan back asking where he was when there was a sudden tapping on his passenger-side window.

Ray absolutely jumped at the sudden sound, though when Ryan grinned at him through the glass, the younger man unlocked the door and watched as he sat down beside him.

"So." Ryan started. "How are things?"

"Well, I mean, the police are disappointed in me..." He pretended to be downtrodden. "I- I don't know how I'll go on!"

"So things are pretty great then?"

"Oh, absolutely. Now water we doing today?" Ray's eyes snapped over to the ocean and back to Ryan as he made his pun.

"Well, I was thinking we could go back to my place and get to know each other." 

"Mr Haywood, please! I'm a married man!" Ray joked. "Well not really  _married_ per se, but you get the point."

Ryan just laughed at him, buckled his seatbelt and began giving directions to his house.

"So you turn right up ahead at the next set of lights."

"Shit, man... you live in Vinewood?" Ray scoffed, impressed. "In that case, I'm very excited about the money from this job..."

"Mmm, it's a nice place; surprisingly domestic." Ryan mused as Ray navigated the winding, hilly streets surrounded by houses that seem to increase in value as he continues driving. "It's like living in a picturebook, really. You and Joel could move in down the street and get a dog. I could find a wife and we could have kids. Our partners would play tennis on the weekends while we murdered policemen and continued our lives of secret crime."

"As we got older, we would play bridge on the weekend with all the local couples, talk about your grandkids, steal millions of dollars from a bank..." Ray played along, pretending to sigh dreamily. "It's what every little girl dreams of."

At this point, their chuckling had escalated to the point where Ryan was having difficulties pointing out to the younger man where to pull up. Ray stopped by the curb and climbed out, stretching his limbs and breathing deep to rid himself of his giggles.

"Well, here we are, home sweet home..." Ryan called behind him as he walked up the footpath. Ray was honestly surprised; he'd been totally prepared for a secret underground lair at most, maybe under an overhang at least. Though as he walked into the spacious house, he took in all the large windows letting in significant light, some with fantastic views of the Los Santos downtown area. "Not what you'd expect from a master criminal, huh?"

"You should stop referring to yourself like that; you've already got one hell of an ego..." Ray chuckled, though staring appreciatively around at the neat and stylish decorations.

"Well, you're not wrong." Ryan pulled a bottle of water from the fridge, tossing one to Ray (who restrained the urge to celebrate his sweet catch). "Come with me to the den, it's where all the cool illegal stuff is."

Ray snorted but followed behind, allowing himself to be lead down the corridor that looked almost empty for the lack of personalised pictures that would be hung on the cream-coloured walls.

Ryan's den looked... quaint... for lack of a better word. A warm room that looked like it belonged to a family. A large, plush chair, an unused-looking fireplace, soft carpeting and a large couch; the room dotted with a few tables, lamps and overhead lights to give the room a warm glow.

"Looks... very illegal." Ray snorted, watching as Ryan crossed the room and placed his hand over what looked to be a light switch, flipping it dramatically. The wall behind the fireplace clicked backwards and spun in a half-revolution before sliding to the front of the arch. The new wall consisted of 9 screens arranged in a square. 4 of them seemed to be running a code that Ray would probably never have a hope of understanding, and the others sat idle. "No. Fucking. Way."

"It's very 'Spy Movie' isn't it? Very proud of this little baby; I built her myself."

"This is the most beautifully cliched thing I've ever seen."

 

"So what's the first job?" Ray said, competing with the loud growl of his stomach.

"The first job is to get Ray some food before he fucking starves." Ryan quipped back, as he sat and flipped through a folio propped open on the couch beside him. "But our first actual job is that new bank by the airport. Easy enough job, I just need you waiting in a helicopter for me to jump in and we can make our escape."

"Totally doable, I've got this launch pad right near that big gate around the back, I'll leave it unlocked for you, yeah?"

"Fantastic. We're looking at a payoff of about... 100 grand - if it all goes down right." Ryan's own stomach rumbled at him. "We'll run it on Tuesday, I think and th- we absolutely need to go out and get dinner right now, don't we?" 

"Jesus, I thought you'd never ask." Ray was already on his feet, waiting for his partner. "We've gotta go to this one downtown place, they have  _the best_ burger  _ever."_

~

Joel walked down the street towards the parking complex, his mind heavy from his big workload.  _"I hope Ray's promotion means no more working on saturdays..."_ he mused to himself.  _"Though I wish that damned kid could learn to reply to my damned texts on time; little asshole promised me dinner out tonight."_

He stopped at a red light and his gaze was brought to a pink neon sign down the road ahead of him.  _"'60 diner', that's Ray's favourite fast food place... I should pop in and get us some take-out."_ He smiled smugly.  _"I'm such a good boyfriend, remembering stuff like that. Kid would lose his shit if I got him one of those burgers he loves from here."_

Excited by his idea, Joel jogged across the road, ignoring the red light, though his eyes were attentive for any cars approaching. His walk down the sidewalk was a little more excited than before, the drab cloud- that working with numbers all day had left- was lifted by his imagination filling in the blanks of how they could spend their sunday alone together.

He pushed open the door to the diner, almost humming in excitement as his eyes were drawn to the menu, trying to crack the code and remember what exact combination of burger ingredients Ray enjoyed the most. He almost didn't notice the giggling coming from one of the few occupied booths, the sound immediately familiar with him. _"Why is Ray here already?"_ Joel left the short queue at the register, peeking around the corner, around a plant to try and get a good look to see if it really was his boyfriend.

Sure enough, there sat Ray, one hand picking at the fries on the side of his plate, the other propping up his chin while he laughed so hard his eyes crinkled. Joel frowned a little when another hand came into his view, holding a spoon and offering what looked to be what looked like a mouthful of soup to the young man who had just started blushing. Feeling now as though he should be sneaky, he continued around of an adjacent wall, hiding behind it as casually as he could, catching sight of a man significantly older than Ray (though it wasn't like Joel could talk...) who was relatively good-looking, also smiling and laughing with the boy.

Joel's frown intensified and he opted to leave the restaurant, the thoughts stewing in his brain.  _"He wouldn't cheat on me, would he? Of course not, he loves you, you have that whole big domestic thing every morning, your life is like it's out of a fucking home magazine._ _"_ He continued to walk towards the complex where he parked his car, his eyes now cast downwards in thought.  _"They did seem awfully fucking close though..."_ The words came with more acid as he walked up the stairs to the level his car was on.

_"What kind of fucking Lady and the Tramp bullshit was even going on? Fucking unsanitary food-sharing. Like they fucking made out right over the fucking table. Also if Ray fucking wanted fucking soup he would have fucking ordered fucking soup; where the hell does this guy get off fucking feeding younger men out in fucking public?"_

He paused in his tracks, catching sight of his car with the side window busted in.  _"Oh, that is fucking **IT**."_

~

Ray was sick to his stomach as he climbed the stairs to his apartment, his phone felt heavy in his pocket with the weight of all of Joel's missed texts and the one, ominous 'We need to fucking talk.'

Most of his unease could probably be chalked up to how quickly his mood had changed. He'd been having the time of his life out at dinner with Ryan, their banter being sharp, on point and verging on flirting; which was something Ray definitely didn't want to look into. Not with a pissed-off boyfriend whom he'd blown off for dinner. Not when he had to run- hopefully- plenty of jobs with his new partner. The last thing Ray needed in this situation was to be thinking about Ryan in a way that encouraged more flirting.

He was nervous when his keys opened the lock and the front door opened, allowing him to slip inside and find himself looking at an annoyed-looking Joel sat on the couch. The older man turned off the television when he saw Ray enter, settling in comfortably with his arms crossed and a frown on his face.

"So where were you at so late, then?" Joel asked, his eyes following Ray as the younger man sat on the other side of the couch.

"I was at work," He answered nervously, his eyebrows drawn up into a concerned look as he watched his boyfriend carefully. The way Joel's face fell into an angry expression told him that he'd not given the right answer.

"Okay, well you can cut the crap now." Joel was almost alarmingly calm. "I saw you out at that damned diner making sweet-eyes at some smug-looking asshole."

"I..." Ray started, unsure of how to continue it. "He's my associate, Joel, I've got to work with this guy for the next while, we were discussing business."

"Business my ass!" His facade was cracking, his back bending as he hunched forwards towards Ray, his voice falling just below usual speaking volume as he forced himself not to yell. "I saw him fucking feeding you off his spoon like you were a terrible romantic fucking comedy movie."

Ray drew back a little at this, his eyes wide as he remembered how much he'd blushed and became flustered at the time. "I-I know that looks bad, Joel, but really, we're just coworkers!"

"Oh, I believe you on that part, I just think that you're also  _fucking him on the side."_   Joel's words were harsh and he punctuated them with a sharp movement as he stood, causing Ray to flinch. "I'm going to stay with Burnie tonight."

The sentence was simple, but it stung Ray deeply. He knew what it meant; he knew it meant Joel wasn't going to be coming back any time soon tomorrow for their traditional "spend all day cuddled together" sunday that they always looked forward to. It meant he'd fucked up. It also left a bitter taste in his mouth with the memory that Joel and Burnie had dated before him, though they were just friends now. But he trusted Joel... and he'd hoped his boyfriend could return the favour.

And so the situation left Ray- a man who had previously talked his way into a crooked deal with the cops- almost speechless.

"J-Joel, please don't go..."

"I just need a night away, Ray. Text me if you have to, I guess."

Ray almost whimpered as the door shut behind Joel a little too loudly. He sat in the silence that seemed to echo in his boyfriend's departure, feeling almost empty being alone. He reached into his pocket for his phone to text out a long apology text to Joel, one that would 'explain' everything while still leaving out the whole 'criminal mastermind' part and hopefully bring his boyfriend back when he read it.

Though the phone he pulled from his pocket was accidentally the closed-circuit one that Ryan had given him.

Ray mused over his options. He took into consideration how adamant Joel had been on leaving. He took into consideration how low the chances were that he'd actually get the older man to come back any time tonight and quench this awful loneliness that had sprung up on him in his absence. 

Ryan, on the other hand...

Well, Ryan would probably show up if Ray asked the right way. He'd probably stick around and play the dumb video games with him that they'd talked about over dinner. He'd probably pass out on his couch with him at 3 in the morning...

So he called Ryan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ray no? Or Ray yes? Find out in the next thrilling installment! (Which will be in like 2 weeks, when I get back from holidays because I'm terrible)


	3. Busted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back

"I can't believe you can't go an hour without seeing me..." Ryan teased as Ray invited him inside his apartment. "So why am I here again?"  
  
"Well... Joel kind of walked out and-"  
  
"He walked out on you?"  
  
"No, not like that... we just got into an argument and he wanted to spend the night with his friend." Ray stared a nervous hole through the floor, his desire for company suddenly seeming desperate.  
  
"Ah. His friend or his... _friend?"_  
  
"Wh... What do you mean?"  
  
"Well I happen to know that policeman, that uh... Burns? Happens to be rather sweet on him."  
  
"How do you know that?" Ray's voice shot up an octave, suddenly worried about Joel being seduced while they were fighting.  
  
"Oh please, police gossip is my forte. I'm savvy to all the crushes and scandals."  
  
"...Jesus, really?" Ray sat down on his couch, unsure of how to process all the information.  
  
"Hell no." Ryan laughed, sitting down beside the younger man. "A while back, when I was tapped into the police radio, all he did was talk about how his ex, Joel, gave the best head this side of San Andreas; kind of a massive asshole." He broke into a derivative snort, though he stopped at the thoughtful look on Ray's face. "But I'm sure Joel will be faithful... I mean probably. You're nicer tail than Burns anyway."  
  
Now it was Ray's turn to snort. "You sure know how to make a girl feel special."  
  
"Damn right." Ryan fiddled his hands in his lap. "Did you want to play that new indie game you were telling me about or did you have grander plans for the evening?"  
  
"Dude, 'Among the Sleep' is the grandest possible plan."  
  
"I can't argue with that kind of logic."

~

They played well into the early hours of the morning, swapping between games occasionally, trying to order delivery pizza at 3am, only kind of upset to find everything already closed.  
  
"All I'm saying is that a 24 hour pizza place would make so much money off of guys like us." Ray proposed.  
  
"Yeah, but it should cater to guys like us, not be run by guys like us." Ryan sighed around his laugh. "We're not starting a pizza business, Ray."  
  
"We could be business partners, as well as crime partners, though." Ray offered, as though it sweetened the deal.  
  
"Why stop there? We could become crime fighting duo partners, we could solve mysteries!" Ryan leaned in close, wiggling his eyebrows dramatically with a wide-stretched, toothy grin. "We could be... lovers?"  
  
"Hmm, no thanks, I don't want to actually validate Joel's reason for leaving."  
  
"Wait, did he leave tonight because he thought you were cheating?"  
  
"Oh, yeah... he saw us at dinner and made some assumptions, I guess." Ray tried to take his mind off it, hopping up to get himself another soda. "Want another drink?"  
  
"No thanks, I'm getting pretty beat, I should go."  
  
"You should crash here tonight, man; you've been staring at a screen for like 6 solid hours."  
  
"Do you really want me here in the morning when Joel gets home? After he made all those... assumptions?"  
  
"Wouldn't it be better for him to see that we're just friends? You can crash out here and pretend to be a software designer in the morning, right?"  
  
"Well, that is what I got my bachelors in, so I could probably play the role..."  
  
"Ohh, fancy college boy." Ray wiggled his eyebrows as he opened the cupboard in his tiny hallway to fetch Ryan a blanket. "Do you wanna sleep now or?"  
  
"I think I've got a little more gaming in me."

~

Ray half woke up in the morning, arms-reach away from the warm body he assumed was Joel. _'Did we pass out gaming again? We're fucking nerds.'_ Ray thought to himself as he blearily chased down the warmth, latching onto the warm arm and giving the solid shoulder an affectionate nuzzle. _'Has Joel been working out? Woof...'_

~

Ray awoke properly at about 11am as the body beside him shifted. With a awkward assessment of the situation, he sheepishly let go of Ryan's arm and moved to disentangle himself from the warm blanket, despite how comfortable his previous position had just been.  
  
The light blinked dully on his phone and he jumped for it, hoping for an 'I love you' text from Joel.  
  
" _'Coworkers.'_ " the text quoted, along with a picture of Ray and Ryan cuddled up on the couch in early morning light, obviously Joel had taken the picture as he walked in the door.

**To Joooeeelll:**  
 **Joel, it's not what it looks like, I swear! He was just here for games and we passed out. Please come back and I'll introduce you two and it'll be set straight.**

 

**From **Joooeeelll:****  
  
 **I don't want your damned mistress to lie to my face.**

 

**To **Joooeeelll:****

**Joel, please? I love you.**

 

**From **Joooeeelll:****  
  
 **I'm at Burnie's, I'll be home tonight.**

  
  
Ray held his metaphorical tongue, trying to ignore the trust imbalance.  
  
"What's with the face?" Ryan's voice was suddenly by his ear and it made him jump, though it was rough with sleep. Ray showed him their morning text conversation, watching as his partner's face fell into a frown. "Wow, he doesn't trust you at all... kinda hypocritical, isn't it?"  
  
"Well... yeah. But I trust him."  
  
"Maybe you shouldn't."  
  
"What... What does that mean?"  
  
"I'm thinking you should go over to Burnie's as a big show of affection and try to win him back early." Ryan shrugs a little. "Big, open and healthy closure and stuff. I can come along too if you want."

"Yeah..." Ray looked up from frowning at his phone. "Yeah! We can handle this like adults! Gonna walk right up to Joel and say- ... shit, what do I say? How do I win the girl back, Ryan? I'm no Casanova!"

"We can write you a script in the car, if you really need it." Ryan was chuckling at the younger man's enthusiasm, trying to keep his face cheerful. "Now go freshen up for loverboy, yeah?" 

Ray just  _'whoop'_ ed excitedly and absconded into the small bathroom, the door shutting solidly behind him.

Ryan let out a silent breath, leaning against the back of the couch and rubbing a broad palm over his face, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Ryan didn't trust Joel. At least, not as much as Ray did. He hoped for the kid's sake that his hunch was wrong, and that they'd walk in on two friends being platonic and playing games or whatever.

~

"Back so soon, babe?" Burnie answered the door dressed in only a towel around his waist and a smirk on his lips. "Craving some more lovin', huh?"

"Yeah, Burnie." Joel gave his best devilish smile as he shuffled past the younger man into the spacious house. "I need a way to take my mind off everything, and you're just the man for the job."

The older man sat and positioned himself on the kitchen island, his legs spread wide and his chin tucked into his chest, shooting Burnie his best shy, come-hither look. Burnie threw the door shut behind him, making a mental note to lock it later when they decided to retire to the bedroom. 

"God knows how good you are at getting me to absolutely lose my mind..." Joel hooked his fingers around the waistline of Burnie's towel and using it as leverage to pull the taller man towards him, between his spread legs.

Their kiss was familiar and deep. Having spent the evening together, it was easy for their tongues to tangle and for their lips to regain their natural rhythm of soft pushing. Burnie was the first to bite when he drew Joel's bottom lip between his teeth and tugged teasingly, pulling a short, happy groan from the older man's throat.

Joel's long, jeans-clad legs wrapped tightly around Burnie's bare midsection, drawing him in impossibly closer and reminding the both of them of the all-too-many layers standing between their bare skin.

Joel's shirt was the first to go, and Burnie watched all the pale skin be revealed to him slowly, as though Joel was giving him a strip tease and a comprehensive tour of all the places he wanted to mark up, but wasn't allowed to.

As soon as Joel's fingers fiddled with his own fly, Burnie dropped his towel to the floor before assisting him, though the younger man's teasing touches certainly weren't helping Joel get his pants off any faster.

With no worry of Burnie having a significant other to catch him, Joel eagerly bit and sucked hickeys into the younger man's neck, enjoying the clean, shower-fresh taste of the skin that he pulled between his teeth.

The two of them were grinding together languidly, enjoy themselves thoroughly as Joel worked to get his boxers off, their breath mingling together when they broke the kiss to concentrate on the push of their hips.

 

The two of them were torn apart by a solid knock on the door, though they were barely able to jump apart when the door swung open.

Joel and Burnie were frozen to the spot, the older man's legs still splayed as his mouth hung open, his eyes wide in both surprise and fear.

Ray didn't need to be a genius to figure out the situation in front of him. Burnie broke out of his reverie and scrambled quickly for his towel, covering his modesty as best he could. Joel's legs snapped back together with an audible  _slap._ Ray let out a breath and felt his shoulders slump. It was a few seconds of silence before Burnie's eyes widened immensely, his eyebrows shooting up towards his hairline; Ray was aware Ryan had come to stand beside him.

"What the fuck is going on, Ray?" Joel was the first to speak, Burnie beside him had a look of extreme worry on his face by this point.

"That's kinda my line, isn't it?" Ray asked, congratulating himself on the even tone of his voice, though it was a hollow victory.

"R-Ray..." Burnie piped up, holding a hand out in front of him, concern clearly written across his features. "Ray, come away from the door and uh... your friend."

"Burnie, this isn't your place to be telling him what to do." Ryan finally piped up, enjoying the way Burnie took a step back when he stepped forwards, though he kept his face stoic for the situation.

"Ray, I don't think you understand who th-"

Ray let out a loud sigh. "Yes, Burnie, I'm aware this is Ryan Haywood; yes, I'm aware you probably have my best interests at heart right now, but you apparently didn't five minutes ago, so..."

"Ray, come on, he's dangerous." 

"And what if I am too? What then, Burnie?" Ray questioned, his patience drawing thin.

"Ray..." Ryan mumbled in warning.

"What if I'm just as dangerous as he is and I just walked in on you two canoodling like junkyard rabbits?" Ray's mouth is running way ahead of him, his frustration leading to nothing but sadness, despite how much he'd rather be mad and full of angry energy. He frowns at the both of them, walking right out their door and calling back over his shoulder, "Then you'd be pretty fucked, right?"

 

Ray is aware of Ryan following a few steps behind him, and is very thankful, considering they'd taken the older man's car. As much as Ray wanted to be alone with his thoughts, he's confident Ryan would stay quiet and just drive him home.

His theory proved right when Ryan pulled out of Burnie's street in silence, his eyes trained on the road. Ray's gaze was straight out the window, his eyes skipping along all the nice houses by the road, the domestic feeling settling in his gut heavily.

How long ago had it been that Ray had fantasized about owning one of these nicer houses with Joel? What was going to happen to their apartment?  _  
_

 _Well...'_  Ray thought to himself.  _'I guess I'm gonna be earning more now... I could move near Ryan maybe. Vinewood looks nice. Certainly a lot nicer than that crapshack I used to live in. With that giant dent in the wall from that time Joel got drunk and fell over. And that shitty mirror in the bathroom we'd have to fight for space in front of. And that shitty window in the bedroom that lets in light way too early on the weekends.'_

Ray was fully aware he had tears running down his cheeks, but the thoughts kept coming.

 _'That hole in the wall by the TV so we could fit in all of our consoles. That shower that was far too small for two people to share; it's just the right size if you're cuddled up real close.'_ _  
_

He put a hard stop to his mind when he noticed his silent crying was on the verge of unattractive sobbing. Luckily, he could distract himself with another concern.

"W-Where are we going?" Ray asked Ryan, wiping up his face and hoping he could put on his best stony expression after that lapse into emotion.

"I'm taking you to my house, if that's ok..." Ryan glanced over at Ray briefly, respectfully looking away once he saw the reddened eyes and the sniffling nose. "Got plenty of guest rooms, I want you to crash here. If you want to, of course."

"Thanks, Ryan." Ray bit out a bitter laugh. "I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself next time."

"First of all, that's what I'm afraid of; I don't want my partner burning down his shitty apartment building and getting arrested for it. Secondly, I hope you don't _ac_ _tually_  intend on there being a 'next time'."

Ray didn't know how to reply to that, so they sat in silence until Ryan pulled his car up out the front of his house. Ray got out and followed the older man to the door, thankfully having remained clam through the rest of the trip. His cheeks were dry and he had silently worked his way up to sad smiles. 

Ray sat down beside Ryan on a large couch in an entertainment room he'd only seen glances of in passing. The older man shifted himself closer to Ray on the couch, his arms held out awkwardly.

"What are you doing?" Ray asked, a small smile through his confusion.

"I'm offering a hug." Ryan hesitated. "And a shoulder to cry on, I guess. Isn't that what friends are for?"

Ray broke eye contact and thought about it for a moment. He wanted to be cool, he wanted to remain calm and collected, but the situation with Joel sat so uncomfortably in his chest that it brought tears to his eyes just to think about it. Jesus, in this condition, there was no way he was going to give into Ryan, he'd probably just cry all over him and look like a total wimp-

Ray was shocked from his thoughts when his body disobeyed him, sudden sobbing drawn from his throat as he collapsed forward into Ryan's arms. The older man seemed surprised for a moment before he relaxed and let his arms fall comfortingly around Ray, the man in question making ugly crying noises with a hand fisted into his soft hoodie.

 

Ray's sniffling had stopped a few minutes ago and Ryan would bet that he'd fallen asleep. His wide hand fell still on the younger boy's shoulder and his mind ran around itself, planning the logistics of a small heist to take Ray's mine off of things. There was always that new jewelry store on the other side of town... Ray may have to get a little too close to the action, despite his long-range skills.

Ryan smirked and looked down at the man who lay lax against his side. Ray'll be fine...

~

Ray's arm was in a heavy sling and the bandages wrapped around his forehead didn't cover his black eye, but they didn't obscure the wide grin that refused to leave his mouth. The both of them were a good deal richer from their latest heist, and Ray was filled with a new confidence, though he definitely had to tone it down, if the reckless way he'd ran right into the line of fire had anything to say about it.

The two of them pulled up out the front of Ray's old apartment, but his smile didn't waver for a second. It had been nearly two weeks and Ray had spent it planning, scheming and gaming with Ryan. The younger man was all set to move into Ryan's house until he'd raised enough money for his own place; all that was left was to get some of his irreplaceables.

As they walked up the stairs and arrived at the door, Ray was stuck to the ground when he heard movement inside. He'd picked this time in particular because he knew Joel should be at work... 

Nonetheless, Ray gathered up his good spirit and unlocked the door, walking in with a renewed energy.

Ray found Joel on the couch with a man he'd never seen before; he looked tall and broad (even moreso than Ryan) with a thick beard and a septum piercing. The whole 'tough guy' look was kind of ruined by the tiny kitten that rested on the man's lap as he held his controller.

"Ray." Joel stood, looking surprised more than anything.

"Hey, I'm... _we're_ just here to get some of my stuff." Ray walked through to their old bedroom, Ryan on his tail.

"Oh, right..." Joel followed behind. "I kinda figured this'd happen, so I put all your important stuff, like your passport and junk, in here." The older man held out a small briefcase.

"Thanks, Joel, that's really helpful..."

"Ray, could I speak to you... alone... for a minute?"

"Yeah, no problem." Ray nodded to the bedroom door and shut it as Ryan left. "What's up?"

"Ray, is that guy... you know... _abusing_ you?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Ray, you look like shit!" Joel gestured wildly to the younger man's body. "You're covered in bandages! Tell me that guy's not some abusive piece of shit boyfriend because you know that you don't have to put up with that."

"Joel." Ray interrupted him, thinking over his next words carefully. "Ryan didn't do this to me. I got into some deeper trouble than I should have, but it's all fine now. Oh, and he's not my boyfriend."

"Then what the hell is he?"

"He's my... partner."

"Partner? Like your... lover?"

"Nah, my partner in crime, Joel, keep up." Ray let out a short laugh, a smug smile came onto his face. "Didn't you hear Burnie the other week? Ryan is dangerous. _I'm_ dangerous."

"I don't believe that for a second..."

"Joel, when we were together, I wasn't really a software designer or whatever it was you thought I did. I was an assassin for hire. I worked for the police mostly." Ray picked up the last of his belongings by his bedside drawer. "I mean, I don't do that anymore. I met Ryan, I turned bad, classic super villain story, really. So who's the beard on the couch? New man?"

Joel was thrown off by Ray's conversational tone, trying to absorb all the new facts that had just been pushed on him. "He's just a friend... wait, so you lied about your work the entire time we were dating?"

"Yep!" Ray headed out into the living room. "Bye Joel, bye beardo, let's go Ryan."

Joel sat down heavily beside Adam on the couch, holding a hand to his forehead and trying to figure out whether or not he actually believed Ray.

"So." Adam spoke up first. "That was Ray and Ryan? That big guy didn't seem as bad as you said he was; he told me I was good at halo."

Joel just watched as Adam gestured to the television.

"Damn, it, Adam, that guy is like, a mass murderer or something."

"Oh... means so much more coming from someone who kills more than virtual people, then."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk what the hell that ending was.
> 
> So the next chapter is probably gonna be the last one idk, feel free to yell at me to get it finished. 
> 
> Up next: Ray and Ryan become.... partners.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyy guess who's actually updating this apparently? It's me.  
> I am the most cop-out writer but who cares.
> 
> (There are some vague non-con elements here, sorry)

Joel straightened his uncomfortable black vest when he heard a customer enter the restaurant, mentally gathering himself for a moment, plastering a polite smile onto his face.

"Welcome to Sightings, bar and restaurant, how may I-" His rehearsed little speech was cut short. "Ray?"

"Joel?" Ray looked just as surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Joel couldn't keep the frown off his face when he murmured out his answer, "I work here now..."

"Really? Whatever happened to accounting?" 

Joel refused to meet his eye, frowning solidly at the wooden podium that he stood behind, his eyes not focusing on the reservations book. "I- I can't really talk right now, I'm on the job."

Ray didn't offer him anything more than a slightly sympathetic look.

"I have a break in 10, though." Joel still didn't make eye contact, unable to look at Ray while he felt so down. "Could we grab some coffee?"

"Yeah, sure, Joel..." Ray just looked awkwardly at his feet, starting to feel more sorry for the man who looked so downtrodden. 

Joel cleared his throat, putting on a professional face. "So what can I do for you today, sir?"

"Oh, yes, right," Ray was jolted back into action. "I'd like to make reservations tonight at 8 for uh... two."

Joel could only snort humourlessly while he wrote in Ray's name next to the time. "Finally dating that criminal friend of yours, then?"

"No, Joel," Ray rolled his eyes, though he didn't let them look back at Joel when he had. "It's just his birthday, is all."

"Right, right..." Joel shut the reservations book and pulled off his nametag, pocketing it. "You know what? I could just clock off now, let's go to that cafe down the street, yeah?"

~

_"Come on, baby, Ray will never know." Burnie pushed you back against the armrest of his couch. "And you know just how well I can make you forget about him."_

_"Burnie, I don-" You barely manage out before his lips have claimed yours; they're far more violent than you remember him being back when you were dating. But you're not dating anymore, you're with Ray. You love Ray. You're living with Ray. Each thought brings more motivation to you, but your arms seem to do little damage to push him off you when he descends, resting between your legs and pressing his chest against yours._

_His tongue is rubbing against your teeth in the way **he knows**  will make your knees weak, and his broad thighs are shifting to push yours even further apart, settling his hips higher up between yours._

_"You don't **what** , Joel?" Burnie breaks the kiss to speak gruffly against your ear. "You don't  **want it?** " His words are punctuated by a steady rock against your crotch, easily accessible with the way your legs stay splayed on either side of his waist._

_You shake your head, unsure of what message you're trying to get across. You know as well as he does that the way your zipper is rubbing against the bulge in your slacks is far too characteristic of someone who 'wants it'. You bite your lip and try for the longest time to avoid making eye contact, ultimately failing when he grabs your chin and drags you up to meet his steady gaze._

_In that short moment you feel as though you can see everything in his chilly blue eyes; all those nights spent around his dinner table, eating terrible take-out food because the both of you sucked at cooking, all the times he had made you laugh so hard, your sides hurt for hours. All the good moments, even back from before you were dating._

_You initiated the next kiss._

~

"So um, how have you been?" Joel attempted lamely, his eyes trained mildly on the way his coffee cup allowed a thin billow of steam to escape into the air, the autumn weather making the temperature crisp, even inside the cafe. 

"I've been going pretty good," Ray hesitated for a second, remembering how Joel used to correct his poor grammar in instances like that. He pushed on anyway. "I've moved in with Ryan, but, you know, we're not dating or anything." The younger man tried to hide his flushed cheeks behind his cup, he had barely entertained the idea of being with Ryan... in that way... since Joel had first accused him of cheating. "And, uhh, yourself?"

"Yeah, I've been going pretty ok, the restaurant pays me pretty well considering I'm just a maitre d." Hey took a moment to look up at Ray. "I got fired from my last job under some pretty... bad circumstances. I don't think I'm welcome to work in a lot of places in town anymore."

"Bad circumstances?" Ray pushed gently, he himself had no idea what kind of shit Joel could have possibly done to get so thoroughly fired.

"Let's just say that you should never dump a pissy police chief," Joel's snort held no humour. "Unless you want your file to be fucked with so horrifically that you become something of a pariah among employers."

"Oh, Jesus..." Ray struggled with his words, coming up blank with anything appropriate to say in this situation. "Can you afford to keep the apartment? With your new job and all?"

"That dump?" Joel actually chuckled this time. "I moved out, funnily enough, I moved in with a friend too. Adam has this nice place downtown and rent's not bad..."

The silence that sat between them was long and vaguely uncomfortable. Ray spent it reminiscing, fretting almost over the finality of the complete loss of their home. He knows he's being dumb; even if Joel still lived there, Ray wouldn't have need to ever go back to it, nor would he want to. But he thought it strangely symbolic, almost as though it was the final loose end between the two of them; the place where they'd made their home for what seemed like so long.

Joel spent the silence with his eyes back on his coffee cup, mostly just wondering what kind of stuff Ray was up to these days. If it happened to be... illegal doings, then good on him. 'I hope he gives Burnie hell.' Joel thought to himself with a barely visible smirk.

"I should head out." Ray stood up slowly, his chair scraping back over the hard tiling. "I've still got lots of birthday preparations to get around to." Ray hesitated for a moment, thinking his actions over, before he offered Joel a sad smile and an all-too-formal handshake.

~

Ray pulled his scooter up outside of a dingy, broken-down building in a neighbourhood that was worrisome, even in broad daylight. He pulled his hood up tighter and dismounted, falling into a lazy step down the alleyway, trying to look as much of a threat as possible, in the hopes no one would confront him. Ray didn't know enough people around these parts to guarantee his safety.

With a heavy push, he managed to get the huge fire-exit door open with a long, low creak. Sneakiness didn't matter now, surely they were expecting him. He knew his way around the building just well enough to make it up the right flight of stairs to find himself in a low-lit hallway where two beefy guys blocked the only door. Ray pushed his hood back and strode up to the two of them, watching the recognition register on their faces before they stepped aside, allowing him passage.

"Ray, how nice of you to show up." He was greeted from the large desk chair across, at the other side of the room. "I've been expecting you, but I thought you'd be earlier."

"You knew I'd be here," Ray didn't offer much in the way of friendliness as he locked eyes with Caleb. "That's all that matters; do you have it or not?"

"Absolutely, but it's going to cost you." The blond pulled a small package from the desk drawer, the white paper wrapper crinkling as he laid it in plain sight of Ray.

Ray just rolled his eyes at the dramatic motions and pulled $50 out of his pocket. Caleb raised an eyebrow at the bill. "Surely you know I'd also charge a finders' fee on something like this?"

"It's not fucking cocaine, Caleb, how hard could it have been to get?" Ray joked and snorted, though he reached back into his pocket. "An extra 20 ok?"

"Sure, but only because I like you, kid." The seated man threw him a wink that could be seen even in the dim office. "You know, if your boyfriend weren't a big scary murderer, I'd ask you out for drinks."

Ray rolled his eyes and didn't bother to correct him, sliding the money across the wooden desktop and grabbing the parcel, shoving it inside his hoodie with a surprising amount of care.

He was halfway out the door when Caleb interrupted him again. "Quell my curiosity; you're getting this for Mr "Mad King", right? I can only image it's the kind of thing he's into; hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he's had one before, at his age."

Ray offered a tiny smile and gave Caleb a nod, telling him he was right on the money, before he left the building as swiftly as he'd entered it. He hopped back on his bike and drove a few blocks away before daring to duck into some shadows to inspect the package.

Unwrapping the flimsy paper, he found exactly what he'd paid for, a Casio calculator watch. "Fucking sweet."

~

Their eyes met for, what was probably (by Ray's estimation), the 50 millionth time that evening. The silence between them was an easy one that they often fell into while eating, the kind that is not uncomfortable, the kind where both parties seem to agree that nothing needs to be said. Ray, of course, was almost wrecked by the seemingly intimate moment they were having. After his discussion with Joel, and his business with Caleb, he'd been unable to stop thinking about Ryan with, what was probably, a pretty dangerous train of thought.

Ray couldn't deny he'd been pretty emotionally thirsty for most of his life; even as a kid, he'd gotten so many crushes that he'd just kept hidden away: the girls because girls were gross, the boys because, well, boys aren't meant to like other boys. When he'd become friends with Joel, he'd jumped into that relationship pretty quickly, the man handsome, and witty, and generally just far too likable to resist.

But he felt almost... guilty, thinking about Ryan like this. The older man had taken him on as a partner,  _just_ a partner; he'd given him a place to live and a good friend to talk to. Ray took a long sip from his glass of water to deliberate inwardly whether he genuinely was romantically interested in Ryan, or whether his romantic thirst was just latching on to the new nearest possibility.

Ryan seemed to notice he was the point of interest in Ray's surprisingly focused gaze and looked up from his steak to make eye contact, smiling wordlessly in a way that reached his cool blue eyes, making them crinkle.

Ray couldn't help but smile back before averting his gaze back down to his food and his lap. The bulge in his pocket demanding his attention and he found himself unwilling to try and put it off any longer.

"So, can I shower you with gifts now, or do I have to wait until later?" Ray broke their silence, smile still gracing his features.

"You mean the dinner's not my only gift? Why Ray, you spoil me!" Ryan jokingly fanned himself with his hand, setting down his cutlery and wiping his mouth off on his cloth napkin. "But, I mean, if you really insist..."

Ray could only smile as he placed the sleek, black watch box on the table, sliding it over to Ryan.

"Giorgio Armani?" Ryan read aloud from the label, eyebrows raising to his hairline. "Ray, you had better not have gotten me some expensive watch... you really do spoil me, especially since my current watch is splattered with cop blood."

Ray was dying of anticipation as Ryan managed the box open. A slight frown of confusion rested on Ryan's brow for the shortest amount of time before he threw his head back and laughed an extravagant laugh that Ray was sure was too loud for a fancy place like this. None the less, the loud guffaws seemed to be contagious and Ray brought his hand up to cover his lips as he let out some much quieter laughter. 

"Ohh my god..." Ryan sighed out, calming down and rubbing at his forehead. "Where the hell did you even find this? I thought they went out of production years ago!" At Ray's humble shrug, he continued, much more sincere. "Thank you, like wow, you know me far too well."

Ryan's eyes shifted about, considering, and for a moment, Ray was worried he'd get up and hug him in the middle of the restaurant. Ryan seemed to have decided against it and instead grabbed Ray's hand where it lay on the table. Ray tried to hide his surprise and ignore the worry he was feeling over his warm palm, wondering if Ryan could feel it starting to sweat like he was a nervous teenager.

"Well, it's not too hard to shop for a giant nerd." Ray offered, noticing how Ryan's hand squeezed his just slightly before letting go.

~

Walking down the hallway together to their respective bedrooms, Ray's mind was working a mile a minute. The evening had felt far too much like a date, and a very successful one at that; a date that would usually warrant at least a kiss goodnight. His mind stopped him there, what if Ryan didn't reciprocate? Not only could it screw up their friendship, but it could sour Ryan's birthday too. Ray decidedly settled on the idea that kissing Ryan just wasn't worth the risk, not tonight anyway.

The older man stalled Ray outside his doorway. "Thanks for dinner, and for the watch." Ryan smirked again as he held up his wrist, now adorned in the chunky technology. Ray could only offer him a quiet smile, the situation feeling, again, too much like a date. Ray's hand was reaching for the doorknob when Ryan's laid over it. The shorter man barely had enough time to look back in confusion before a warm, soft pair of lips were sealed over his.

The kiss was chaste, probably only lasting a few seconds, but Ray could feel absolutely every nerve in his body tingle, real time seemingly slowed down to let this moment last for many more moments than it should be allowed.

Once again, Ray could only offer him a smile when they pulled back, watching as Ryan's golden lashes fluttered open. "Goodnight." Came Ryan's deep voice as he gave Ray's fingers a final stroke before heading down towards his own room.

~

_Two Months Later_

Their movie  _date_ had been just fantastic, and yes, they were calling them _dates_  now. 

Ray's eyes rolled so far back in his head he couldn't see anything as he rode out the incredible waves of pleasured shocks that were rocking roughly through his body in time with the surprisingly tender thrusts Ryan was offering him. This was the first time they'd fallen into bed together, deciding initially to take it slow, given how good they worked together; neither of them wanted to ruin anything.

But they had both known that the time was coming soon; too much purposefully loud moaning in the evenings when they pleasured themselves with their own hands, the sounds echoing through the thick walls and driving the other insane.

Ray felt his peak approach like a freight train that was hell-bent on completely destroying him, and he grabbed Ryan's face, guiding him in for a deep kiss, far from the neatest they'd shared, to muffle his finishing moans.

Ryan, however, seemed to feel no such shame, bowing his head to Ray's neck while the younger man panted through the aftershocks, feeling his own release draw close, he let out a series of long, puffed-out moans as his thrusting stuttered against Ray's ass.

Ryan pulled out with a barely-there groan and collapsed beside Ray, pulling the younger man in to rest against his chest, playing with the man's soft hair in the pleasant glow before they both decided they should get up. Ryan wrapped his arms tightly around Ray for the time being, pressing a firm kiss into the boy's hair, and sniffing in a deep smell of his shampoo.

Ray grabbed one of Ryan's hands with both of his, tangling their finger together funnily and rubbing at the fleshy parts of the older man's fingers. With a contented sigh, he turned back to look Ryan in the eye.

"Hey, Ryan?" Ray chose his words carefully. "What... what are  _we?"_

"Well that's easy..." Ryan trailed off to nuzzle affectionately against Ray's scalp. "We're partners."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey, so that ended... idk I'm not sad, there are other parts, including a "sequel" story which is basically just a collection of other little adventures the guys get up to.


End file.
